3 braincells

03 - lies and honesty

warning:
under aged drinking

not a cult

BeomgyusEyes:
Taehyunnnie :(

BeomgyusNose:
are you okay?? where
are you? are you still
at the dorms???

BeomgyusLips:
yeah, yeah, im ok. still at
the dorms. told you he didnt
like me.

BeomgyusLips:
shouldn't you guys be
overjoyed im not with him?

BeomgyusToes:
hyunnie, its not a competition

BeomgyusToes:
youre our friend regardless of
what happens. now come to
the lobby and lets cheer you up, ok?

Taehyun reread Yeonjun's first message over and over and over again. If it wasn't a competition, why did Taehyun feel like it was? Whenever someone ranted their love in that cursed group chat, it seemed as if they were just that bit closer to confessing to Beomgyu. And every time that happened, there seemed to be a bigger chance of Beomgyu saying yes. Taehyun was very, very conflicted.

He zips up a coat and tells Beomgyu he's going to go out. The other barely waves his hand goodbye, focused on his phone's screen. No awkwardness, no nothing between them. Because Taehyun never confessed. Because Taehyun lied.

The Bighit Building isn't too far from their dorms, only about five minutes away, so he just walks there. He has half an urge to take a bus to see his family, they're only 30 minutes away from his dorm. But he drags his feet to the building anyways. It's a little chilly out, and he wishes he brung a thicker jacket, but it's too late to turn back now. But he lets it be, and tries not to wallow in his misery. Gosh, he really doesn't want to see his bandmates.

Still, the building is within eyesight, and he knows he already partially agreed to meet them.

When he enters the building, he's met with 'hellos' and smiles and short bows from the staff that works there. He returns it with a smile. "Here to practice?" Asks the receptionist at the front desk, handing Taehyun a sheet. As an idol, the company's supposed to know wherever he is at all times. If he's not in the dorm, he has to be in the building. And if he wants to do anything outside of that, he has to ask for permission.

He takes the sheet and signs his name. He sees the other three's names signed in just before him, and can't help but smile fondly just at that. Gosh, he hates being whipped. "No," he replies to the receptionist, a polite smile taking over his features instead. "Just here to hang out."

The receptionist hums, before outstretching a hand. She takes the clipboard from Taehyun, and then he's on his way to the dance practice room, where he's no doubt going to find his hyungs and Kai.

He opens the door slowly, not to draw lots of attention to himself. There's Kai and Yeonjun, wrestling each other, though it's mostly harmless as they can't move three centimeters without laughing. Soobin's on his phone, recording their idioticness. He can't help but watch fondly, and part of him just wants to run away. They look happy on their own, and Taehyun doesn't want to ruin that with his lie.

Soon enough though, Yeonjun rolls Kai over to the door, right at Taehyun's feet. Kai whose pinned under the older's hold is the first to notice Taehyun. "Taehyun," he breaths out through a smile, obviously tired from play fighting.